


Lion Pride

by Hassie_Lee



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), BoM AU, Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Developing Relationship, Dreams and Nightmares, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Healing, Insomnia, Lance (Voltron) Angst, M/M, Marmora dads, Marmora!Lance, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Minor Character Death, Panic Attacks, Sleep Deprivation, Sleepy Cuddles, Slow Burn, The Blade of Marmora - Freeform, alternative universe, i can call it a minor character death right?, i don't know who's endgame, i mean we all know who, relationship debate, somewhat of a plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2017-11-06
Packaged: 2019-01-30 06:06:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12647637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hassie_Lee/pseuds/Hassie_Lee
Summary: Raised by Galran rebels, Lance has gained two new parantel figures to guide him as he grows up in the middle of an intergalactic war against the Galran Empire. Trained from a young age, Lance learns that in war sacrifices must be made, allies are gained, and possibly another place to call home and a family.





	Lion Pride

The laughter of children rang out in the air like bells, the sound of waves crashing into rocks by the shore, the cries of seagulls and the soft whispers of the wind at the beach. Palm trees swayed with the wind, a gentle breeze that carried the smell of the sea, a salty taste in the air. Long feather shaped palm fronds rustled against each other whispering in hushed voices. Sand like brown sugar, grainy and soft to the touch of finger pads. Mounds of wet sand and built sand castles, all shapes and sizes decorated with shells and stray seaweed. The setting sun reflected across the vast body of water, colored the sky a beautiful pink-orange, purple smokey clouds spreading across the sky. Everything the light touched was covered in a tinted warm hue. Golden brown skin glowing with the setting sun, water droplets glittering on dark skin trailing down warm bodies.

The sand was warm against his toes and he buries them deeper in the sand, enjoying the way the tiny grains of rubbed against the soles of his feet.

There’s always a women sitting next to him, and she’s beautiful in every way possible. Her chocolate brown hair falls over her shoulders in curly waves, almost like a waterfall. Skin as dark as his and eyes as blue as the very ocean before them, a slight twinkle in her eye when the light catches the orb a certain way. She’s always there keeping him snug against her side, he knows her as Mami and for some odd reason he can’t name the other children who are splashing in the water. He feels as though he should know them for some reason, their names stuck on the tip of his tongue.

He loses his train of thought when Mami says something to him that comes out slightly warped, only being able to make out a few words. She’s speaking another language, it’s neutral sounding but he can hear how she rolls her R’s. He likes listening to her speak, more so when she sings to him. Her voice soothing and gentle, songs in another language that bring a wave of calmness over him, something familiar he can grasp onto. 

Blue eyes watch the sun set beneath the ocean, the water glittering with gentle movements. He blinks once. Everything is calm, the soothing sound of waves crashing against rocks mixed in with the laughter of children is as calm as this beach is getting. The boy presses up against Mami’s side, her fingers gently running through his hair, voice soft as she sings. 

He blinks again and everything is covered in red.

The palm fronds are on fire, leaves turn to black as ashes fall from the sky.

The kids are screaming loudly as they scramble out of the water back to shore.

Suddenly, there’s something yanking him away from his Mami’s side, and the woman is screaming to let go of them. She reaches out to him with tears in her eyes that stream down her face but the being holding her pulls away even harder. He doesn’t even realize he’s also yelling. 

Then everything stops.

And he tries to breathe in gulps of air. His limbs flail, trapped beneath the covers he struggles to free himself of. He’s broke into a cold sweat, it glistens against his skin from the dim blue hue of small lights embedded into his walls, hair sticking to the curve of his face. Blue eyes dart back and forth the room trying to make sure he’s safe and not in any danger. His eyes flit to the door, the small keypad on the side turns green indicating someone he knows or who knows the code to access his quarters is standing outside. 

When the door slides open with a ‘whoosh’ he lets out a steady breath, the two figures’ silhouettes standing outside his bedroom immediately bringing him comfort. He lets out a whine, high and needy, one that conveys his distraught and unease to the shadows. As quickly as the noise leaves him the two figures come rushing to his side, large furred hands rubbing soothing circles on his back.

“Lance, breathe in little one. Come on, that’s it,” Thace ran a clawed hand through the boy’s hair, gently scratching at the scalp as he coached Lance through his episode. It was a common occurrence, but never had a set pattern— it just happened whenever his mind decided it was convenient. Lance calmed down enough to detangle himself from his blanket, leaning into the side of the other figure, Ulaz.

A thing to know about Thace and Ulaz was that they were painstakingly not of the same species as Lance. While Lance was told he was something called a human, Thace and Ulaz were beings called Galra. Lance doesn’t remember much of his time in captivity with the Galran Empire, under the care of the high priestess, the Druid witch, Hagger. From what Thace and Ulaz have told him, it was a bad place. Hagger was bad, the druids were bad, the empire was bad. One thing though, that Thace and Ulaz have repeatedly told Lance was, “not all Galra are bad, there are some like ourselves that are good.” And he believed that, he’s seen the bad Galra, he’s lived with them, was observed by them, and was experimented on by them. He’s also seen the good Galra, he’s living with them, is being trained by them, is being raised by them. 

Lance looks down at his hands, he turns his right hand over to look at the inside of his wrist. Three little numbers in black ink stare back at him: 001.

He’s the first human the Galra Empire have gotten their hands onto. The first to be tested against Hagger and the first to come out with their limbs intact.

Lance was only six when he was taken from his home planet— still a child and had already been through so much.

And Lance is seven when he meets Thace for the first time. The bond between them forged quickly with faith and a trust Thace was uncertain the boy would be willing to give him, another Galra in the boy’s eyes. 

It pains Thace to have to escort the small cub back and forth to his room and to Hagger whenever the witch wishes to resume testing. Luckily, no limbs are lost, but unfortunately, Hagger tries her hand at how much quintessence can the human body handle before it’s too much. 

That never went well. 

It goes in thick into his veins it hurts, it fills him up with a burning sensation throughout his body, just above the surface. It overflows and spills, his lips are stained in a metallic gold and his vision is a golden hue from the tears that leave golden streaks down his cheeks. 

Not a year later, before Lance turns nine, Thace decides to leave with Lance. He takes him away from the pretty cell the druids have given to Lance as a poor excuse for a room and brings him to the rebel base where he can be free of the empire. It takes time to adjust to everything and everyone. Thace introduces Lance to the members and introduces Lance to his mate, Ulaz. The small cub becomes attached to them both and Lance is ten when they take him in as one of their own.

All Lance has ever known was Galra, space and of course the war against the empire. But despite this, he has also learned that there is good, Thace and Ulaz and the organization are a testament to that. 

“Did you have the same nightmare?” Ulaz asked, moving his own hand to touch the boy’s forehead feeling the cold sweat wetting the thin fur. “Was it the Red Dream?” 

Lance nodded slowly, “I can only remember the color red.”

It’s always like this. The child’s dream could be so vivid, so detailed but the moment he wakes up the only thing he can remember is the color red. Lance is often trapped in the past within his dreams. Whether he’s remembering the time of his abduction, or the time of his capture, they are both nightmares. 

“That’s alright, cub, there’s still time before it is time to rise, you should try and get some more rest.”

Thace and Ulaz tuck Lance back into bed after bringing him a pouch of water and a small tablet to aid him in sleep. 

Lance felt as if he had his eyes closed for the rest of the night. 

That morning during lecture, Lance had trouble focusing and trouble wielding the practice blade. The boy nearly has a fit when he’s forced to stay awake for a few more hours until Ulaz is able to come get him. The rest of the day Thace and Ulaz are with him, watching over him and caring for their cub in need. At some point, Ulaz is called back to the medical bay, leaving Thace to care for their cub alone. The time is spent relaxing and trying to keep Lance awake until his bedtime in order to avoid him waking up in the middle of the night in case tonight is a “no nightmare” kind of night. 

“Maybe tonight will be better, cub,” Lance watches Thace pace around his quarters busying himself with picking up items strewn on the floor, all strange stuffed animals given to him by Blade members. Thace holds onto one stuffed animal that is slightly more worn than the others once the rest have been put away. He picks at the loose fur as he makes his way towards the child. The toy in his grasp is half the cub’s size, perfect for holding on to. The animal is one of Earth’s kind, a lion with blue fur, a red small nose and red pads for the feet, it’s eyes two black dots. “Ulaz should be here soon with pouches and tablets.” 

Thace hands Lance the lion he named ‘Mami’. When asked Lance said it was the only name he could remember from his dreams. Lance props himself up against his stuffed lion and watches the door in hopes of it sliding open to reveal Ulaz. When the doors do open, Lance is half asleep, a small smile makes its way across his face when he catches a glimpse of Ulaz pecking Thace on the cheek. He scrunches his nose and reaches out to them both with a small whine. Before complying with their cub, Thace makes sure the lights are dimmed to their lowest setting, a blue hue washing over them as Ulaz hands Lance his sleeping aide. 

Lance is in the between Thace and Ulaz on his bed, pressed against them for comfort and warmth. It’s easy to fall asleep this time, Lance mumbling a sleepy “goodnight” to the two as his heavy eyelids close. 

That night, Lance dreams of the beach. The smell of the sea carried by the wind, the taste of the ocean spray as it hits against the shore rocks, the palm fronds whispering to each other, and the warm sand beneath his toes brining a wave of calm over him. He’s small enough to be pressed snug between Thace’s and Ulaz’s side, right in the middle. He doesn’t dream of the palm trees catching fire or Galra from the empire ripping him away from his fathers’ side like they did with Mami. The only red he sees is the orange color the sky turns as the sun sets beneath the ocean, the water glittering with small movements.

There is no Red Dream, only a better version of that dream that night.

**Author's Note:**

> This is something I wrote for me, because I love the idea of Marmora Lance and so on. I am unsure whether to have a couple pairing in this story, if not a romantic relationship then for sure a platonic one. I picture Lance picking up Galran behavior in terms of affection and familial interaction with others he really likes. Also, I don't think this will be very long unless I develop a solid plot. This is mainly for when I'm in the mood to write or have a good idea that works with the story, I also don't have a set update schedule so updates will vary but I do plan on finishing this and not have one month updating intervals. The latest should be a week. This story is as much for me as it is for you if you enjoy it.
> 
> Please feel free to comment, thoughts, and give constructive criticism to help improve my writing and story. It'll be much appreciated. 
> 
> Thank you, and enjoy this journey!


End file.
